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Sgt. Kevin Benderman was court-martialed for desertion for declaring himself a conscientious objector after 9 years of service including a tour in Iraq. Imprisoned for 13 months after being convicted of "missing movement" in 2005, Benderman is still appealing, and fighting for an honorable discharge.
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Kevin Benderman (born 1964) was born in Alabama and raised in Alabama. He held the rank of Sergeant and was a mechanic (MOS 63M) in the United States Army. Kevin Benderman first enlisted in the Army in 1987[1] and served until 1991 when he decided to exit the Army, however nine years later in 2000 he chose to reenlist. Kevin was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on July 9, 2002 and served in Iraq from March 2003 until September 2003 with the Fourth Infantry Division. He was awarded two Army Commendation medals for his actions in Iraq. In late 2003 Sergeant Benderman was transferred from Fort Hood, Texas to Fort Stewart, Georgia and was assigned to the Third Infantry Division. When told that he would be returning to Iraq he first applied as a conscientious objector in December 2004 but his application was rejected. It was around this same time he was passed over for promotion to Staff Sergeant. He then refused to deploy with his unit and was court martialed in July 2005 and was sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment and given a dishonorable discharge. This was upgraded to a bad conduct discharge by the Appellate Division of the United States Army in 2008.[2] He currently resides with his wife Monica in Hinesville, Georgia.
